Hoarding

Hoarding is the act of collecting and acquiring things to an excessive degree, regardless of their actual value. However, this is not one’s abnormally large seashell collection or the cabinet full of plastic bags you continue to save from every grocery store trip for the past three years. Hoarding is a behavior that has the potential to turn into a disorder. Hoarding Disorder falls under the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders Umbrella.

What qualifies someone as having hoarding disorder? Well, it’s less about all the stuff, and more about how the individual feels about the stuff. This individual has difficulty discarding or parting with their excessively collected possessions and they experience significant distress associated with discarding these possessions. As a result of the distress experienced associated with discarding these possessions, a massive accumulation of stuff builds up. Possessions that are most often hoarded include: clothes, books, newspapers, household supplies, containers, and junk mail. Interestingly, as we move to a more digital age, this behavior extends to the inability to delete data!

As accumulation progresses, stuff will clutter and congest the individual’s living area, often making it quite difficult to do any, “living” within that space. What might this look like? Maybe stuff becomes so piled up on a bed, that the bed is no longer used for sleeping, and instead sleeping is done in a recliner. Perhaps the kitchen is so full of stuff that an individual cannot make a meal. Over time, a living area becomes unlivable. This is dangerous for multiple reasons, including, but not limited to fire hazards, safety hazards, pests, mildew, air quality, structural damage to living space, and sanitation concerns. 

It’s just a bunch of stuff though, right? Why can’t this individual just throw the stuff away when it starts to negatively impact their life? Unfortunately, behind the behavior, there is often a great deal of pain. While the reasons why an individual may begin hoarding may not yet be crystal clear, there are common themes in these individual’s lives. Individuals that hoard often neglect themselves, may have had a deprived childhood, have lost a loved one or experienced a severely traumatic event, grew up in poverty, or have a family history of hoarding.

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Hillary R.,

Masters Level Intern, 2024

Sources –

NHS. (n.d.). Hoarding Disorder. NHS choices. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/hoarding-disorder/